Catch up with all the latest news from across the county with Abby Hook.
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00:00Hello, good evening and welcome to Kentonite live on KMTV. I'm Abbey Hook, here are your
00:27top stories on Friday the 13th of December.
00:31Festive financial loss, Rochester businesses still suffering after storm pushes Christmas
00:37trade into chaos.
00:38Hundreds of pounds worth of stock that we just had to, you know, we couldn't use, it
00:43just had to go to waste, so that affected us quite a lot.
00:47Grubs up, Canterbury community hub combats loneliness with cheap hot meals.
00:52Well Christmas day, we have a day, next Tuesday we'll be setting all the tables up with Christmas
00:58crackers and presents, it's going to be really wonderful.
01:02Past, present and paper, we go behind the scenes at Kent's and Britain's largest recycling
01:09mill.
01:10So this plant originally in 1924 when it started was using timber from Scandinavia to make
01:16the paper for the newsprint in London.
01:29First this evening, storm Darragh caused damage across the country, slowing traffic, cutting
01:33power and felling trees. But in Rochester, it meant the annual Christmas festival had
01:37to be cancelled.
01:39The yellow wind warning caused Medway Council to push back one of the county's busiest
01:42festive attractions, shutting up the food village, Christmas grotto and market stalls
01:47that many businesses had spent thousands preparing for.
01:50Phil McDermott has been speaking to those impacted in Rochester.
01:54£10,000, that's how much one business in Rochester, City Wall, estimated their loss
02:00as after the annual Dickensian festival would be cancelled after storm Darragh.
02:05Every year the celebration sees massive footfall in the town and a boost to its economy, with
02:09the market for Rochester's artisan goods, a food village for vendors and Santa's village
02:13to keep the kids entertained.
02:15So when the closure was announced last week, it was local businesses that should have benefited
02:19from the festival that were going to suffer the financial consequences.
02:22Hundreds of pounds worth of stock that we just had to, you know, we couldn't use, it
02:27just had to go to waste. So that affected us quite a lot.
02:31Yeah, planning ahead with all the staff for it to be really busy, having everyone in,
02:35less wages there, didn't actually need people for the time that they were here, so yeah,
02:40it was quite, it was quite, yeah, it was a kick, definitely a kick in the teeth.
02:47Pia also added that Morley's would be less prepared for this weekend than they would
02:51have been for the last one, with less money for staff wages meaning they wouldn't be able
02:55to deal with the added pressure of more foot traffic and could lose out on more profit
02:59than they already had.
03:01Other businesses like Poco Locos and Chatham, Don Vicencio and Gordon's Hotel and Restaurant
03:06also suffered large losses, having to donate away or waste the food they had bought in
03:10bulk in preparation for the event.
03:12Despite this, the festival is still going ahead partially this weekend, in an attempt
03:17to salvage the event.
03:18And although Morley's and other businesses are worried ahead of this weekend, with some
03:21now lacking staff or stock, a cafe, Lenny's of Eastgate, thought the change of date was
03:26a good alternative.
03:27Yeah, so it affected quite a lot actually, so the one behind us has actually closed on
03:33the Sunday and we actually closed it for half an hour on Saturday, just due to the footfall
03:37wasn't coming down.
03:38But no, Morley's, we're looking, just looking forward to the community coming back together
03:43and just really enjoying the Christmas vibes that Rochester High Street has.
03:48Behind the scenes, Medway Council and the Rochester City Centre Forum defended the choice
03:52to shut the original celebration.
03:54I can't remember an atmosphere like it in a room when a decision like that was taken.
03:59And it wasn't taken lightly.
04:01And we just knew, obviously we're connected with the high street, we know the kind of
04:06investment that all the hospitality businesses in particular have made.
04:10Combine them all, it's well into six figures.
04:12While some shops are worried ahead of the market, locals are hopeful the weekend celebrations
04:16will make up for the inconvenience and cost caused by Storm Darragh.
04:20Finn McDermid for KMTV in Rochester.
04:24The owner of a Christmas tree company in Deel says he's lost almost £5,000 following a
04:29dramatic fire overnight.
04:31These pictures show the moment a passenger filmed the flames at the site of Billy Robert's
04:35tree selling farm.
04:37It's believed the fire started from a faulty electrical socket in a shed near to the Swingate
04:41Inn restaurant.
04:43Kent Fire and Rescue Service told us two fire engines attended the scene and no injuries
04:48were reported, luckily.
04:51An 18-year-old man and a 76-year-old woman have been released on bail after a baby was
04:56attacked by an Excel bully near Folkestone.
04:59This was the home in Hawkinge where an eight-month-old girl was bitten just before 2.30pm on Wednesday
05:04and the police presence that followed.
05:06Arabella remains in a serious condition in hospital.
05:10The dog, named Hunter, was humanely euthanised by a vet on the scene.
05:14Police also confirmed he was seized in November last year following a report its owner had
05:18been bitten on the finger.
05:20The owner was asked to voluntarily surrender the dog at the time but declined.
05:24This was before new legislation came in banning Excel bullies.
05:28The local MP for the area, Sojan Joseph, is hoping to strengthen the law and its enforcement.
05:50Next tonight, an uncertain future for transgender children here in the county as the UK government
06:10has put in place an indefinite ban on puberty blockers for under 18s.
06:15It follows the Independent Commission on Human Medicines, which states there's currently
06:19an unacceptable safety risk in their continued prescription.
06:22Well joining me now to discuss this further is Rainbows Over Medway founder, Shea Coffey,
06:27and her child, Destiny.
06:28Thank you both for joining us.
06:29Destiny, I'll come to you first.
06:31As a young trans person, how is this going to affect you and your generation?
06:36Well, I have lots of friends that are looking at transition options at the moment, mainly
06:41trans boys who are looking at binders, but some of them have considered going on puberty
06:47blockers and well now, that's just not going to be an option for them and I don't think
06:51that will impact their mental health very well.
06:53Where does this leave you and your friends looking?
06:56What's the next step?
06:58Well me personally, I'm going to fight as best as I can to have them unblocked because
07:03they are absolutely necessary healthcare for trans kids looking to medically transition
07:08as much as they can at that age and as long as they're banned, someone needs to do it.
07:15And this of course has come from the government stating that they've heard from the Cass
07:19Review and medical professionals that there is this risk.
07:24So, Shea, what do you make of this decision looking to further clinical trials as well?
07:30Well, nowhere in the Cass Report does it say that puberty blockers are unsafe.
07:35Absolutely nowhere.
07:36This is something that's come out of left field or should we say right field.
07:40It says that puberty blockers are unaffective after the age of 15.
07:46Well most children have been through puberty by 15 so of course they're not effective.
07:51It says in the appendices there are literally thousands of cases worldwide where patients'
07:54notes are stated in the Cass Report's appendices and there is no problem.
07:58There is no evidence in any of that that there is and there are less than 10 D transitions.
08:02So this is a safe and effective method of keeping trans children safe.
08:07How is best to keep trans children safe and future generations as well?
08:11That balance between what medical professionals are saying, the further clinical trials they
08:16want to do to make sure all these boxes are ticked and then balancing how trans children
08:21feel now.
08:22It's puberty blockers are 35 years old.
08:24What further medical trials could you possibly get that aren't going to give you more evidence
08:29than you've got in a 35-year lifespan?
08:33It's something that has been created out of ideology rather than medical necessity.
08:37And of course this conversation will continue and the government will hopefully continue
08:41to look at this as well.
08:42Thank you both very much for joining us.
08:44More from that discussion as well on the Kent Politics Show this evening.
08:46You can find that on our website.
08:49Now next this evening, not everybody in Kent is fortunate enough to have people to spend
08:53the festive season with or afford food and heating this winter.
08:56So the Umbrella Centre in Canterbury is inviting anyone and everyone through their doors this
09:00Christmas, offering cheap meals and welcoming company.
09:03Kristen Hawthorne has been down to find out more.
09:06The Umbrella Centre in Canterbury has been offering meals at a low price to those in
09:09the community for many years.
09:11They're one of the few places open on Christmas Day to give these homemade meals.
09:15Today, however, it's not a traditional Christmas meal, but a Kentish one, fish and chips.
09:21It's been running for 40 years and supports hundreds every one of those years.
09:25And in recent months, the numbers have only been increasing.
09:28They say it's crucial for those suffering with mental health, especially around this
09:32time of year, and for those with learning difficulties, to find comfort and a sense
09:36of belonging at the centre.
09:38It's totally inclusive.
09:39It's a safe space and everybody's welcome.
09:42And the great thing is that we've got the whole community behind us.
09:45We've got lots of people who are donating to us, which helps me in the kitchen.
09:49So we can give subsidised meals and we're really helping lots of people.
09:53We do a food bank, which is really necessary at the moment.
09:57Everyone who works here, including the volunteers, are offered a range of opportunities that
10:00are difficult to find elsewhere.
10:02I say this is a good vibe for people to come if they're lonely, need to talk to someone.
10:08Basically, just if you're lonely and you want to chat to anyone, really, we're here for
10:12support to chat with.
10:15Sometimes I work in the kitchen, I work in the kitchen mostly Wednesdays and I work down
10:21here sometimes.
10:22Sometimes I work upstairs.
10:24Basically I work everywhere in this building.
10:26They extend the welcoming atmosphere to those from different circumstances as well, such
10:31as those from the Ukrainian community.
10:33Two and a half years ago, when they came to the UK, they were in depression because they
10:43were not working anywhere, they were sitting at home.
10:47So we decided to organise this club for them.
10:50Umbrella Centre gave this room.
10:56For some people, finding a warm, friendly place with a hot meal can be difficult.
11:00And while the cost of food is rising, something like a Christmas meal may stretch budgets
11:04just too far.
11:06Well, Christmas Day, we have a day, next Tuesday, we'll be setting all the tables up with Christmas
11:12crackers and presents.
11:15It's going to be really wonderful.
11:16We've got a wonderful Christmas tree, we're going to have a choir singing here.
11:21We're working in harmony with the Ukrainian community.
11:24From the short time I've spent here, I have seen just how popular the service really is
11:29and how vital people like this are for the community, especially during Christmas.
11:33Kristen Hawthorne for KMTV in Canterbury.
11:42Now time for a short break, but coming up, we'll be hearing about the Sittingbourne paper
11:45mill turning 100 and the local celebrity taking to the stage for Christmas.
11:50There's a clue there.
11:51See you in a few minutes.
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15:11Hello and welcome back to Kent tonight, live on KMTV.
15:14Now to sport, Mark Bonner's Gillingham are looking to continue their good form
15:18as they look to face MK Dons.
15:20Plus with attentions turning to this evening's Medway Sports Award,
15:23there's plenty of prizes to be handing out.
15:25Here's Bartholomew Hall with a round-up of the day's sporting headlines.
15:29So Gillingham will take on MK Dons this weekend.
15:31How tough will that be for Mark Bonner's side?
15:33Well, MK Dons are having a great season so far.
15:35Similar in terms of stats to Gillingham, but overall better.
15:38They're currently seventh in the league against Gillingham's tenth.
15:41Obviously we know the top seven in League Two have a chance
15:44of progressing to League One next year.
15:46And in fact, they're on great form too.
15:48They've won all six of their last league games.
15:51So I think this is going to be a tough one for Mark Bonner
15:53and he's said much the same to the press this week
15:56and he's not really taking anything for granted,
15:58especially coming off the back of that great win last week
16:01against Salford City after what has been a difficult few weeks
16:04for the Gilles.
16:05Here he is talking ahead of the game where he explains
16:07some of that mentality that went into the win last weekend
16:10that he's really hoping his side can keep hold of this time out.
16:14It'll be an excellent result to go there and get one.
16:16We're capable of doing it, but we're playing against the best side
16:18so we're going to have to be brilliant in order to do it.
16:21We will be delighted with it, but how it'll feel afterwards
16:23I don't really know.
16:24The mentality that we played with that we needed to be
16:26at a real high level, that we needed unbelievable focus,
16:29that we needed to give a proper performance,
16:31that can't disappear just because we had a good result.
16:34And so that's what we're working on this week,
16:35trying to maintain that.
16:37Meanwhile, Kent's second highest ranked club, Ebbs Fleet,
16:39has announced it's parted ways with manager Harry Watling
16:42after just 90 days of him being in charge.
16:45The decision comes with the fleet currently rock bottom
16:47of the National League table following a 12-game winless streak.
16:51Watling was appointed on the 12th of September
16:53following the sacking of Danny Searle.
16:55In a statement, the club has thanked Watling for his time
16:58and announced that former Gillingham midfielder Josh Wright
17:01will take charge of the North Kent side moving forward.
17:04Now tonight, some of the biggest names in Medway sport
17:07will be taking to the Rochester Corn Exchange
17:09for this year's Medway Sport Awards.
17:11With 11 awards up for grabs, each with a gold, silver and bronze gong,
17:15there's plenty of prizes to be handed out.
17:17Previous winners have included gold medal Olympic hockey goalkeeper
17:21Maddie Hinch, professional boxer Moses Itelma
17:24and Paralympic gold medal winning skier Charlotte Evans,
17:27who is now a judge.
17:29She joined us on our dedicated sports show Invicta Sport
17:32a few weeks ago where she said what a privilege it is
17:35to now be a judge at the awards.
17:37Every year there's different sports, which is making it more exciting.
17:40There's no longer just the same sports or the same people.
17:42We're now getting a real range. I love it.
17:44I think it makes you feel like you've come home.
17:46It makes you feel proud to be part of it.
17:48You're able to thank all the people who supported you on that journey.
17:51That's it from the sports team.
17:52Plenty more available for you to read at Kent Online.
17:54And don't forget, we'll have a brand new
17:56and the last of the year episode of Invicta Sport on Monday at 6pm.
18:09Best of luck to everyone at the Sports Award this evening.
18:12Next tonight, Sittingbourne is home to the UK's largest recycled paper plant.
18:17This year marks a century of Kemsley Paper Mill.
18:20First used for newsprint, the mill now focuses on sustainability
18:23and produces enough recycled paper in a year to wrap around the entire world twice.
18:30They've even introduced robots to keep up with the evolving industry elsewhere.
18:34Xenia Nagvi was at the mill.
18:36The UK's largest paper mill is in Sittingbourne,
18:39and this year Kemsley Paper Mill celebrates its 100th anniversary.
18:43The industrial site, which is spread over 150 acres,
18:46runs three paper mills and used to be a major Fleet Street printing hub,
18:51powered by Scandinavian timber when it was first set up in 1924.
18:56But in 2024, things in Europe's second largest mill look a little bit different.
19:01Since the 80s and 90s, their focus has been on sustainability.
19:06It's said that the mill produces enough recycled paper in a year
19:10to wrap around the entire world twice.
19:13They say that for every tonne of paper they make from recycling,
19:16there's an entire tree that doesn't have to be used.
19:19Everything we make here is fully recycled.
19:21Even the white papers that we make here are from a recycled material,
19:25so we're giving that valuable fibre another life.
19:27We're also looking really heavily into how we can make lighter papers,
19:32higher performance papers that use less fibre for the same application.
19:35We have robots that are automatically moving the paper around.
19:39They pick the order automatically for the customer,
19:41and the guys on the pork trucks will load that for the customer deliveries today.
19:44So we've got a workforce here that quite a few are retiring,
19:47quite a few of the guys here in their late 50s, early 60s,
19:49so actually we had people that just retired through that programme
19:52and then we had the robots in the warehouse in their place.
19:54To recycle the paper, staff crush it before mixing it with water and starch,
19:59which is stored in on-site silo towers to clean and strengthen the paper.
20:04It's tinted with the same greyish-brown hue for consistency
20:08and is rolled into sheets of paper before being distributed to their plants across the UK,
20:13where they often end up as cardboard boxes for packaging across various sectors.
20:17Kemsley Paper Mill recycle 2,500 tons of paper every single day,
20:22which they clean so that it ends up looking like this.
20:25Sittingbourne, I think initially, paper-making started because
20:29you had the chalk streams running down, so a supply of water,
20:36and they needed water to make the paper.
20:39Initially they'd have used rags as the raw material.
20:42I think paper-making started there somewhere like maybe 300 years ago,
20:50but it wasn't until about 150 years ago that it got serious
20:55and a new mill was built in Sittingbourne.
20:58The mills say they've reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 50% in the last few years,
21:03and hope to reduce this even further to keep the site going for at least another 100 years.
21:08Xenia Nakvi for KMTV in Sittingbourne.
21:13Now don't forget, as well as catching us here every weekday at 5.30,
21:17you can keep up to date with all your latest stories across the county
21:20by logging onto our website. It's kmtv.co.uk.
21:23There you'll find all our reports, including this one,
21:26about how the Kent Autistic Trust are coping following the new government's budget announcement.
21:33Enter Carton's home in Canterbury.
21:36He's an adult living with autism.
21:38His interests are obvious.
21:40I like the Dalek episodes. You see them more now than you did in the old ones.
21:44And he can safely choose his next sci-fi blockbuster,
21:47knowing there's a round-the-clock care.
21:50But he's acutely aware that the charity supporting him
21:53is fearing for their future following the budget.
21:57If it weren't for them, I don't know where I would be.
22:00We need urgent action to ensure social care can survive these rising costs.
22:08One example is carers don't have enough money.
22:12Carton is one of around 100 individuals in the care of the Kent Autistic Trust.
22:17Tamzim is checking in on him today.
22:20She's helping come up with his support plans.
22:23For Carton, it's calming him down to prevent meltdowns.
22:26For social care, charity also works on proactive measures
22:29to keep adults on the autistic spectrum out of the NHS.
22:34The staff that are working with people, they have to adapt all the time.
22:39They have to know people inside out.
22:41They have to pick up on tiny little clues.
22:44They need to know what to do about them.
22:47They need to memorise lots of things.
22:49And then they need to change that for every single person that they're working with.
22:54So, yeah, it's really, really skilled work.
22:57The organisation has been supporting people on the autistic spectrum
23:01for more than 30 years, but says this is the biggest financial challenge they've faced.
23:07It welcomes the rise in the national living wage.
23:10But with national insurance contributions changing,
23:13they say they'll need an 11% increase in funding to meet that.
23:17This decision had unintended consequences
23:21because the consequences are the collapse of the sector.
23:25And what would happen then?
23:28I'd rather not think about that, to be honest,
23:30because you can't imagine a society and a community
23:35without being able to support the most vulnerable.
23:38The county council says the £600 million the government is promising
23:42won't even scratch the surface.
23:45We are advocating that government exempt social care providers
23:50from this change in national insurance.
23:53The public sector is, in effect, compensated for it,
23:57but this is a case of commissioned services,
24:00and those providers are not, under the current arrangements, reimbursed.
24:04That means that they end up coming under yet more severe pressure.
24:09With more than one in 100 people on the autistic spectrum,
24:13the Trust fears the consequences these changes could bring,
24:17and is calling on the government to reverse reforms
24:20or provide further financial support for the sector.
24:23Gabriel Morris in Canterbury.
24:27Now it's time to take a very quick look at the weather forecast.
24:35Looking like a mild night tonight, cloudy and chilly,
24:38with temperatures staying around 3 and 4 degrees across the county.
24:41Going into tomorrow, it looks to be about the same weather-wise,
24:44a little warmer, even hitting 7 degrees up in Dartford.
24:47A bit of wind too.
24:49By the afternoon, it should be a bit nicer.
24:51Some sunshine across most parts of the county,
24:53some cloud in some parts there, but more towards the coast.
24:56Here's the outlook for the next few days into next week.
24:59By Tuesday, cloudy weather, lows of 10, highs of 12.
25:02Some sunshine on Monday.
25:05And finally this evening, Kent's very own Christmas Fairy
25:09will be taking to the stage tomorrow.
25:11It's in fact Sydney Christmas from Gravesend.
25:14She shot to fame after winning Britain's Got Talent earlier this year.
25:18Now, the singer will play Fairy Christmas
25:20in a brand-new production of Sleeping Beauty
25:22at the Dartford's Orchard West.
25:24That's the temporary home for the Orchard Theatre
25:26after it suffered with rache.
25:28It's also the home of the British National Opera.
25:32But it's a full circle for Sydney.
25:34She watched pantos at that very same theatre as a child.
25:37Here's a clip from when Bartholomew sat down with her
25:40at the Orchard Theatre to talk about exactly what it means to her.
25:44When I was young, all my friends were getting in panto.
25:47I couldn't book it!
25:50And then the last time I went to a panto audition
25:53was about three years ago.
25:55Then I went back to Starlight and then, yeah, I'm living my life.
25:59And then, yeah, I'm living my panto dream.
26:02I've ticked it off.
26:04You're giving something back to your younger self as well.
26:06Absolutely. We've done it, Sid.
26:08We've got into a panto.
26:10Well, best of luck to Sydney tomorrow at the Pantomime.
26:14Amazing stuff there.
26:15You've been watching Kent Tonight live here on KMTV.
26:17There's, of course, more news made just for Kent throughout the evening.
26:20I'll be back with your 8pm news bulletin.
26:22In the meantime, you can keep up to date with the latest stories
26:25by logging on to our website. It's kmtv.co.uk
26:28and you can watch back on demand tonight's episode
26:30of the Kent Politics Show with Oliver.
26:32But that's all from me and the team this Friday evening.
26:35Have a wonderful weekend. I'll see you again next week.
26:58.